Sterilizer



1. A. AND J. L. ANDERSON.

SFERILIZER.

APFLlcATloN FILED ocra. 191s.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

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STERILIZER.

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Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

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61H01 mq i. A.AND1. L. ANDERSON.

STERILIZER.

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1L A. mi.: L. ANDERSUN. STERIUZEH.

1 AFFLICATIN FILED OCT. 3. 1918. 1,408,429.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

8 ASHEETS`SHEE`I' 4.

. A. AND1. L. ANDERSON.

STERILIZEH.

APPucATlou FILED ocr. a. ma.

Panama Mar. 7, 1922.

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l. A. AND J. I.. ANDERSON.

STERILIZER.

ApFucAnoN FILED ocr. 3. |918.

1,408,429. Pamnd Mar. 7,1922.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

1 f' @Q6/Q] @XM2 L Gunn ma J. A. AND J. L. ANDERSON.

STERILIZER.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 3. |918A 1,408,429. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

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J. A. AND J. L. ANDERSUN.

STERILIZER.

APFLlcAnoN man ocr. a. 1918. 1 ,408,429. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ALBERT ANDERSON, 0F MORGAN, AND JOHN L. ANDERSON, 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH; SAID J OHN L. ANDERSON ASSIGNOB T0 SAID JAMES ALBERT ANDER- STERILIZEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

Application led October 3, 1918. Serial No. 256,709.

Sterilizers, of which the following is a speci-- fication.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide improved means for moving filled and sealed cans into a sterilizing chamber and removing them therefrom; improved means forv conveyin the cans within the chamber in a course long enough to provide for thorough cooking or sterilizing when running at a suitable speed; to construct and arrange the arts so that the apparatus ma be used a vantageously for pressure coo ing with practically no loss of steam and consequent conservation of heat, although the machine may also be used for ressureless sterilizing, that is for sterilizing at atmospheric ressure; and to improve various structural eatures of the machine.

More articularly stated, one of the principal ob3ects is to improve the construction of the type of machinesY in which the cans are fed to and discharged from the chamber by rotary members containing pockets to receive the cans, by providing a water seal for such rotar members having novel characteristics, an by providing improved and positive devices for feeding the cans to and from such rotary devices. In connection with our feed and discharge means, and the water seai therefor1 we provide new and improved means of circulating the water for the purposes hereafter described.

The accompanying drawings show one exem lifying embodiment of the invention,

an in connection with the detailed description` of it, the ob'ects, advantages and novel characteristics o the invention will be further explained so far as is necessary to enable them to be understood by persons skilled in the art. After considering this representative embodiment, it will be evident that the invention may be embodied in different forms, and we do not limit ourselves to details, except as claimed.

In the drawings- Figures 1 and l, when combined are a vertical longitudinal section of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 1s a front end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the front end of the machine from the right of Fig. 2;

Fig. 1s an enlarged view in vertical longitudinal section of a portion of the conve or; t

fig. 5 1s an enlarged view in vertical transverse section of a portion of the conve ror;

ig. 6 is an enlarged detail in vertical section of one end of one of the can cylinders and its housing in the plane of the axis of the cylinder;

Fig. 7 is a section on a smaller scale in a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 6 of one of the cylinder housings and certain associated parts;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of the can check springs;

Fig. 9 is a detail of one of the discharge cams and certain related parts;

Fig. 10 is a side view partly in section and partly in elevation of one end of one of the can cylinders;

Fig. 11 is a detail of one of the can ej ectors or dischar e devices;

Fig..12 1s a detail of one of the cylinders in transverse section showing the can pockets and the recesses to receive the ejectors;

Fig. 13 is a detail of one of the feed cams and certain related parts on the same scale as Fig. 9;

Fig. 14 is a detail of one of the feed devices viewed from the end of its shaft;

Fig. 15 is a side view of the same; and

Fig. 16 is a detail mainly in section of a part of the conveyor.

The sterilizin enclosure consists of a substantially cyhndrical shell 1 designed to resist the necessary steam pressure, say about fifteen pounds to the square inch, and having a suitable steam supply connection 2 and other fittings which do not form a part of this invention. At one end, which may be named for convenience the front end, as shown in Fig. 1, the shell has a flan e 3 to which is bolted a head or front p ate 4.

This plate has upper and lower can openin units has a track for the lower side of both 5 and 6 an adjacent to each o ening 1s the upper and lower stretches of its belt. provided a flange 7 for the connection of the The sleeves 29 .are spaced apart somewhat feed and discharge devices carried by housless than the diameter of the cans so that, ings 8 and 9, respectively. VThe housin 9k is as indicated'in dotted lines 1n Fig. 4, each 7o connected to the lower flange 7 direct by can rests upon two of the sleeves. As the means of a flange 10 on the housinggan the conveyor moves,theI Vwheels 30 are rotated housing 8 is connected to the upper flan V7' by Contact with their tracks, and thus the Vby an intermediate hollow spacer 11. he sleeves 29-are rotated, and each can is rohousingS with its cylinder and its associated tated continuously on its axis during all ofV parts are referred to as the feed mechanism its travel through the retort. It will now be in the sense that these parts are for introapparent by comparin Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 ducing the cans into the shell or casing 1, that the conveyor is a apted to receive cans and similarly the housing 9 with its c linder in rows of a suitable number, say ten cans and other parts is for dischar 'ng tlile cans in each row, and the conveyor and all of 80 from the retort; but for eac of the can the can handling devices are arra ed to cylinders there is also provided means for handle the cans 1nl rows of the state numfeeding the cans to the cylinder and disbei. Upper stretches of alternate conveyor charging them from it. -as will appear in units run .in o posite directions, that is belater explanation, and this distinction as to ginning with t e upper unit the top stretch feeding and discharging means shouldV be runs to the rear; in theY second unit from ke t in mind. the top the upper stretch runs forward and llVithin the retort or shell 1 is a conso on alternately until the bottoni unit is veyor carried by a conveyor frame 12, conreached of which the upper stretch runs sisting mainly of side uprights 13 resting forward. The cans are thus conveyed first 90 on cross beams 14 which are in turn conbackwarcl b the upperV unit, and are then nected to longitudinal beams 15. The tops passed to tliY of the uprights 13 are connected by suitable unit which carries'them forward, and So on, transverse and longitudinal bars 16. Wheels until they are dellvered at the front of the 17 are journaled in the beams 15 and are machine to be discharged from the retort by 95 flanged to run on rails 18 carried by suitthe dischargrrrmechanism, as will be deable brackets 19 near the bottom of the scribed. To giide the cans from one con shell; and the front ends of the beams 15 veyor Unit to the other, guide plates 32 and certain of the longitudinal connecting are provided at the rear of the upper conmembersI 16vare bolted to the head 4. B veyor unit, and at the front of the second 100 run out of the shell for examination or ret ie conveyor belts, these shafts are mounted pair. To facilitate this the head may also in bearings in blocks 34,*and the blocks are be provided with exterior wheels 20 car mounted to slide in guideways 35 of brackried'by brackets 21 arranged to run on outets 36 bolted to the rearY nprights 13.

side rails 22. screw 37 is connected to each of the blocks,

The conveyor is really a group of conveyor and these screws pass through. rear plates units, each consisting of an endless 'artlcu- 38 of the brackets, and by means of nuts 39 110 lated belt, the belts being arranged one engaging the front and rear faces of the above the other and each being of substanlate 38, the screws are drawn forward or tially the same construction except the top ack and locked to adjust the sprocket shafts one which is extended through the feed 33. Conveniently also the rear guide plates opening 5 of the head and through the spacer 32 are secured to the bearing blocks 34 so 115 11 into the inner chamber 23 of the housthat the normal spaced relation of the plates ing 8. r to the end of the conveyor belt is main- Each belt has at each side a chain 24 and tained, irrespective of ,the adjustment of the t es e chains run on rear sprockets 25, which belt. The frontV sprockets 26 of all the conare idlers, and front sprockets 2,6, which are veyor units, except the top unit, are carried the drivin"r sprockets. At regular intervals by shafts 40 mounted in bearings in the head opposite blocks of the two chains are con- 4, and these shafts project outside of the nected by rods 27. At each end of each rod,. head at one end and are provided with gears adjacent to the chain link is a bearing stud 41 of all of which mesh together so that 28, and sleeves 29 are mounted to turn on when any one is revolved, al1 ofthe conveyor 125 these bearings. Each sleeve has at each end sprocket shafts are driven 1n the proper 4adjacent to the chain links a wheel 30, and directions. As' previously stated, the upper these wheels' are arranged to run on track conveyor unit extends at the front through 31 at eacli side of the belt structure bolted the hollow spacer 11 into the inner chamber to the uprights-13. Each of the conveyor 23 of the housing 8, and the drive sprockets 130 26 for this conveyor are carried by shaft 42, passing through the chamber and extending outside of it at the right where Vit is provided With a sprocket 43 connected by a chain 44 to a sprocket 45 carried by one of the other conveyor drive shafts-the third from the topso that the upper conveyor shaft and all the others are caused to run together in the proper relative directions. The tracks 3l of the upper conveyor are extended through the spacer 11 to support the forward extension of the upperV conveyor.

The feed and discharge mechanisms carried by housings 8 and 9 diy'er somewhat in detail but are similar in principle. The feed mechanism will first be described and the differences in the discharge mechanism will then be pointed out. 'n

The housing 8 has an outer chamber46 In which cans are to be placed in rows by any suitable supply mechanism, the detalls ofVv which are not here shown. SubstantiallyE centrally in the housing is the feed cylinder 47 which is machined to have a coeiinnin fit in the walls of the housing. A port 48 eads from the outer chamber 46 tothe cyiinder, and port 49 leads from the cylinder to the inner chamber 23.V The cylinder has two longitudinal pockets 50 at oppositev sides, each deep enough and long enough to contain a row of cans. Each `pocket is provided with a can 'dischar 'ng devices:-V

ejector designated as an entirety injF 1 by the numeral 51.

for the reception of another row of cans. Located within the outer chamber 46 is a positively acting can feeding device, designed as a whole in Fig. 1* by the numeral 52. Before each row of cans is placed in the outer chamber, this feed device is retracted permitting the cans to fall against the rowof check springs 53. When a cylinder pocket is opposite the port 48, the feed v device is advanced to the position shown in Fig. 1, forcing the row of cans past the check springs and positively into the pocket. The feed device is then retracted ready Vto receive another row of cans.

The check springs. are shown in detail in Fig. 8. A row of strips of spring metal 53 bent to proper shape is secured in the housing by screws 54 adjacent to the port 48. The positive feed device comprises a lurality of arms 55 (see Figs. 14 and 15 each having a hub 56 and an arc-shaped head 57,

e gV When `the fcylidzer pockets 50 are o posits the :port 48a1iddurwhich may becovered with a stri 58 of rubber composition or other materia to protect the cans.V A row of these members is mounted at suitable intervals on shaft 59 and secured by lie 1ing. The shaft has bearings near its en s in the housing, and at least one end extends outside of the housing, as best seen in Fig. 2, and is there provided with an armI 6G (compare Figs. 1, 2 and 13) bearing a camfollower 61 which engages the cam groove 62 of the feed cam 63. Tins cam is carried on asha'ft 64 which is ineiiect `the shaft of cylinder 47 and revolves with it, although for structural reasons the shaft will usuallybe a separate piece from cylinder. The cam is shaped to give two oscillations ,of the feed shaft 59 for each rotation of the cylinder, and the movement of the heads 57 toward the pockets, of course, is timed to occur just as the pockets approach Yali ment with the ort. 48. The check lsprings therefore hol the cans away from contact with the surface of the cylinder until the pocketsfare inl osition to receive the cans and then the fee devices ositively force the cans past the springs and) into the pockets. Since the surface of the cylinder shouldhavea high polish to insure a proper running lit, this device for keeping the cans from engaging and scratching the surface is quite important.. Each ofthe discharging or'ejecting devlces 51 (compare Figs. 1, 6 'and 9 to 12) com rsesrarms 65 keyed to a shaftY 66 and this shaft has bearings 67 formed at Vintervals inthe body of the cylinder. The hubs ofthe arms are provided with recesses 68 formed in the cylinder b'ody.` At their outer ends the arms are recessed to carry a strip l69 which is removably connected to all of the arms so that it may be removed if worn. At, at least, one end of the cylinder the ejector shafts 66 project proper, and are there provided with arms G carrying cam followers 71, and these cam followers engage in the'cam groove 72 of the discharge cam 73, which is a disk fixed Vin the housing, in this embodiment by being screwed to the head 7,4, Fig. 6. Since there are two ejecting elements for each cylinder, the discharge cam is designed to give a singe oscillating movement for each ejector r each rotation of the drum, and is arranged so that the stripV 69 is thrown away from' the center of the drum when pockets 50 are opposite the portr49. The cans are thus positively foced'jout of the pockets, and` immediately onto the adjacent end of the upper conveyor unit. It is possible, and

preferable in some cases although not necnsomewhat beyond the en'd of the cylinder i returned to the bottoms of the pockets ready' provided a shaft 75 o eratively integral with the cylinder exten ing outside o'f the casing, an this carries a gear 76. .A yoke 77 secured to one end of the housing provides a bearing for main drive shaft 78 on which is main drive pinion 79 which, .engages both gear 76and a gear 80 secured to conveyor shaft 42. Thus, from the main pinion 79 the cylinder 47 and all o f the c011- veyor driving shafts are driven in unison in the proper relation.

The discharge housing 9 has an inner chamber 81 communicating with the interior of the shell, and guides 82 are provided to lead cans the short distance from the discharge end of the lower conveyor to the chamber 81. A positive charging device 83 is located in the chamber 81, substantially similar to the one previously described in connection with the feed cylinder 47, only in this case the chargin device 83 is located inwardly of its cylin er since cans here reguireeto be positively fed away from `the interior of the shell and into the cylinder pockets. The discharge cylinder 84 is substantially id entical Vwith cylinder 47 and has can pockets 85 and positive ejectin devices 86 constructed and operated su stantially like the similar devices already described. Outwardly from the cylinder the housing has a short discharge passage 87 leadin to` downwardly directed passage 88 of t e tro hlike member 89 which is .bolted to housing 9 by means of flanges v90. VThe upwardly directed portion 91 of the trough 89 recewes at its bottom the cans discharged from the `shell by the discharge cylinder, and it also serves as a water container for a part of the water seal, later described, and this chamber 91 also usually encloses one end of a oo nveyor 92 serving to remove the cans from it. The discharge cylinder is provided with a feed cam 63 identical with that of the upper cylinder and other parts simiiarly num-- bered, similarly constructed, and acting in a similar manner. The discharge cylinder has a shaft 93 carrying a gear 94 by which ,the shaft and the cylinder are driven and gear 94 is driven from gear 41 of the lower conveyor unit by means of an intermediate idler gear 95. Thus, the discharge cylinder and its related parts are driven in proper re lation to the rest of the apparatus. Water seals will now be described which, in connection with the cylinder, `effectively prevent escape of steam from the shell, and at the same time act as a lubricant for thecylinders as they revolve in their housings. The cylinders are made with al reasonably close running fit. but there must be some running clearance. and the water of the water seals takes up this clearance and at the low speed at which cylinders revolve acts as an effective lubricant as well as a steam seal. Adjacent to the feed cylinder 47, water is maintained in the outer chamber 46 up to the level of line a and in the inner chamber 23 and the communicating passage in spacer 11 up to the level of the line b which is the level at which water will overllow at 96 into the shell. The level a is determined by an overflow pi 97 communicating with chamber 46. Ad] acent to the discharge cylinder 84 water is maintained in the bottom of theY iiiner chamber 81 up to the level of the line c which is the level at which, `wateryvill overflow into the shell at the point 98. Water is maintained in the outer chamber 91 i1 to the level Yof the line d and this water is supplied by the overflow ipe 97 which communicates with the cham er at 99. A pipe 100 leads from the bottom of the shell at 101 to the intake of a suitable pump 102 and water discharged by this pump through the pipe 120.3 to the bottom of chamber 23 adjacent to the feed cylinder" The level of water in the shell is regulated by the pipe 104 which communicates with the shell at the rear end somewhat above the bottom, sothat some water will always be maintained at the bottom of the' shell to supply piinip 102. :The pipe 104 leads to a suitable steam trap 105 which will take away excess water while retaining the steam. Some water of condensation is always maintained at the bottom of the shell, .the level being controlledrby the discharge pipe `104. When the machine is running some of this water is .continually removed from the shell through pipe 100 by pump 102 and delivered to the chamber 23 where any excess overllows back into the shell at 99. Aseach` row of cans is delivered into the chamber 23 by cylinder 47, water from the chamber fills the empty cylinder pocket and thus a pocket full of water is taken from the chamber 23 and delivered to the outer chamber 46 at each half revolution of the cylinder. As each row Vof cans is pushed into a cylinder pocket by the positive feed device 52 the remaining space in thepocket is filled with water from the chamber 46 and thus a certain amount of water is returned to chamber 23 along` withV the cans at each half revolution of the cylinder, leaving an excess of water representing the volume of the cans, which is pumped outwardly by the cylinder at each half revolution. This excess flows away through ipe 97 to chamber 91. The action of the discharge cylinder 84 is subn stantially a reversal of the action of the feed cylinder. that is at each half revolu tion it pumps an amountof Water equal to the volume of the cans from the chamber 91 into the inner chamber 81 and the excess flows over the ledge 98 into the shell. There is thus substantially Yno 'difference in the volume of water handled by the charging and discharging cylinders. Since each of the cylinders is completely submerged in water at both sides, there is no chance for either air or steam to get into the cylinder pockets. The loss of steam is practically 4zero, and the heat efiiciency of the apparatus 1s very high.

In one embodiment of the machine, it is designed to run at such speed that 100V cans are fed into and discharged from the shell per minute. A desirable cooking period for food, such as peas which require thorough cooking under pressure to resist the internal pressure developed in the cans, is 18 minutes, and with the rate of feed above mentioned, therefore, the area of the conveying system is designed to accommodate 1800 cans, and the speed of each of the cylinders will be five revolutions per minute. At the moderate speed of all the moving parts, their movement, without any lubricant other than moisture, does not entail any considerable wear, or large amount of friction, and a machine of very moderate dimensions will handle a large number of cans while giving the neces sary time required for proper pressure cooking. As previously explained, during their entire travel through t e shell, the cans are continuously rotated so that all of their surface is exposed to the steam and the contents completely agitated. The conveyors with their guides and the feed and discharge devices are all constructed and arranged so that jamming or any injury or rough handling of the cans is avoided. It will be understood that while the feed and discharge devices and the water seal arrangement may in some cases be valuable independently of each other, they co-operate very advantageously since the positive can handling devices easily overcome any disturbances of normal movement of the cans, which might be caused by the necessity of moving them throu h a body of Water at each side of each cylin er.

Many of the features of the conveyor system, and its mounting in the shell, are valuable in other adaptations. Either the feed or discharge cylinder with its associated parts has novel features of utility in other adaptations for handling cans or similar articles, and especially when the articles are yto be handled in connection with the water seal such as described.

l. In a sterilizer, the combination of a shell, a conveyor frame therein, conveying means carried by the frame, and (zo-operating guideways in the shell and on the frame by means of which the conveyor frame with the conveyor may be run out of the shell as a unit.

2. In a sterilizer,` the combination of a shell` a removable head connected to the shell at one end` a conveyor frame connected to the head and normally located within the shell, a conveyor carried by the frame, and

traclr and roller supporting means intermedlate the conveyor frame and the shell, admitting of the head, conveyor frame and conveyor being run out o'f the shell as a unit for inspection and repair.

3. In a sterilizer, the combination of a substantially c lindrical shell, a head removably bolte to one end thereof, a conveyor frame connected to the head and normally located within the shell, track and roller supporting means intermediate the shell and the conveyor frame, and can feeding and discharging means carried by the head to co-operate with the conveyor.

4. The same as claim 3 with the addition of water seals for the feed and discharge means, and means for circulating water between the two water seals.

5. The same as claim 4 with the addition of a steam trap communicating with the shell somewhat above the bottom thereof.

6. In a sterilizer, the combination of a shell, a steam supply therefor, a head removably connected to the Shell at one end, a conveyor frame normally located within the shell and connected to the head, slideway supports intermediate the conveyor frame and the shell, a conveyor carried by the frame, a can supply chamber and a can discharge passage communicating with the conveyor through the head, said chamber having a depressed portion providing a Water seal, and a rotary pocketed can cylinder in each of said passages within the water seal.

7. The same as claim 6 with the addition of positive means for moving cans into and out of the cylinder pockets.

8. The same as claim G'with the addition of means for circulating water between said water seals and between one of them and the shell.

9. The same as claim 6 with the addition of positive means for moving cans into and out of the cylinder pockets, and means for circulating water between said water seals and between one of them and the shell.

l0. In a sterilizer, the combination of a shell, a steam su ply therefor, a head removably connecte to the shell at one end, a conveyor frame normally located Within the shell and connected to the head, slideway supports intermediate the conveyor and the shell, a plurality of continuous belt conveyors in superposed relation carried by the frame, conveyor adjusting means carried by the frame at the end remote from said head, a can supply passage communicatinA with the conve ror through the head near tie top, a can disc arge passage communicating with the conveyor through the head near the bot tom, each of said passages haring a depressed portion providing a water seal, and a rotary pocketed can cylinder in each of said passages within the water seal.

11. The same as claim 10 with the addi- 13. The same as claim 10 with the addition of positive means for movmg cans into tion of positive means for moving cans into and out of the cylinder pockets. and out of the cylinder pockets, and means 10 l2. The same as claim 10 with the addifor circulating water between said Water 5 tion of. means for circulating waterV between seals and between one ofthem `and the shell. said water seals and between one of them JAMES ALBERT ANDERSON and the shell. JOHN L. ANDERSON I, 

